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Alderton circular walk
Walk the defensive line... and explore Alderton and Shingle Street
This walk takes you to a remote part of the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB - the lonely marshland around Shingle Street. It’s a flat landscape dominated by the elemental forces of nature but, as Malcolm Farrow, Communications Officer with the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Unit, explains, it’s an area full of interest.
The low lying landscape to the north and east of Alderton has long been under threat of invasion - both from human invaders and, more recently, the sea. A fascinating if melancholy assortment of 20th century wartime defences can be seen: half-hidden pill boxes and lines of concrete blocks designed to halt the progress of invading tanks - now, after more than 60 years, looking like a lot of rather crooked teeth in need of the attentions of a dentist. Most impressive of all are the remnants of a much earlier conflict, Martello towers, of which three can be seen. These were built as defence against an the invasion threat posed by Napoleon's armies at the beginning of the 19th century.
Today the main threat comes from the sea and, walking along the raised embankments, it’s easy to understand how vulnerable this area could become. At present, the area around Shingle Street is not eroding but this could easily change, as at Bawdsey, just a few miles to the south, where the land is disappearing at an alarming rate. In this harsh, but thankfully peaceful landscape, the only invaders that are likely to be encountered are birds - the welcome sight of wild geese or swans passing overhead in winter, wading birds on the estuary or, if you’re lucky, a short eared owl or hen harrier.
Route finding
This walk is straightforward and, for the most part, uses the public footpath network. Park carefully in Alderton and take the footpath east, next to the shop. At the drainage ditch, keep to the left and continue over the footbridge until the grassy embankment is reached. Turn left here and walk along the top of the embankment until you come to an obvious junction of several paths, just outside Shingle Street. Here, make for the Martello Tower to your right, either by dropping down onto a path that heads directly towards it, or by staying on the right-hand embankment - both paths bring you to the settlement. Once in Shingle Street, head past the phone box towards the beach and turn left, onto the path that skirts the seaward side of the houses. Continue beyond the final building, following the footpath slightly to the right of another grass embankment, and continue until an obvious sharp left turn is reached, close to a creek. Turn left and follow the embanked path beside the creek towards the road. Here, instead of turning right and taking the often overgrown footpath on the corner, it is easier to go straight across the road and over the sluice before rejoining the footpath on another embankment, which runs initially through a natural tunnel of hawthorn bushes. Stay on this path with the channel on your left until the footpath junction is reached again, just south of Shingle Street. This time, turn right across a field before joining the obvious track towards the farm buildings. Continue until you reach the road and turn left. Follow the road back to Alderton.
Check the weather forecast before attempting this walk, as there’s very little shelter to be found along the way and conditions can change rapidly on the coast. Except in the hight of summer, warm, waterproof clothing is a must and it’s a good idea to take refreshments with you - none are available at Shingle Street. It's also important to be aware that Shingle Street has no facilities of any kind, apart from a public telephone box. Alderton has a shop (open daily 7am - 5pm, 7am - 1pm Sunday) and a pub. We also recommend you carry an Ordnance Survey map as an extra reference - Explorer Map 197 covers the area.
Total distance: approximately 6 miles.
 Alderton to Shingle Street map |